Melissa Friscia

Melissa Friscia, M.S., CCC-SLP, BSC-AAC, TSSLD, ATP (she/her/hers) is a licensed, ASHA- certified speech-language pathologist and RESNA-certified Assistive Technology Professional (ATP). She also holds a New York State teaching certificate as a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities. Melissa is nationally board certified in the area of augmentative and alternative communication (BCS-AAC). Melissa graduated from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York with a B.S. and M.S. in Communication Sciences Disorders, and she completed the Assistive Technology Certificate Program at the University of Illinois, Chicago. She is a graduate of the ASHA Leadership Development Program (LDP), and has participated in the ASHA Leadership Mentorship Program (LMP) as a mentor in the area of AAC/educationally-based services. Melissa has served a variety of volunteer leadership roles across the span of her career, including President of the Hawai’i Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Hawai’i State Education Advocacy Leader (SEAL), and ASHA SEAL Champion for the western division of the United States. She currently serves as the ASHA representative on the Joint Committee for National-State Association Relationships, which provides guidance and support to ASHA-recognized state speech-language-hearing associations. Currently, Melissa is the speech department supervisor for a NYSED-approved not-for-profit preschool organization serving Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York state. Melissa has shared her clinical experiences via presentations at the local, state, and national level (e.g., NYSSLHA, ATIA, ASHA, RESNA, AAC in the Cloud, ACCES). Her professional interests include providing education and support for school-based personnel, mentoring speech-language pathologists in the area of AAC, and advocating for the development of comprehensive assistive technology guidelines to support students who require AAC access at school. Her hope is to provide students with access to their preferred methods of communication across the school day, and ultimately to improve the quality of each student’s educational experience.

ASHA Financial Disclosures:
None
ASHA Non-Financial Disclosures:
Melissa is an ASHA-Certified Speech-Language Pathologist, and is nationally board-certified in the specialty area of augmentative and alternative communication (BCS-AAC).